5 New Singapore Attractions for Kids that Opened in 2017

We are nearly approaching the end of the first quarter of 2017 and while there are the usual places to bring the kiddos, there are a few new places that have sprouted up this year to discover together as a family.

Some of them may be familiar names but to the kids, they offer a different fun experience! So the next time the holidays or weekends come along, here are 5 new adventures - of which 3 are FREE for all! - to take your pick from.

1. Diggersite @ ORTO

Located at ORTO, Singapore's first 24-hour multi-recreational park, Diggersite offers little diggers the chance to realise their dream of operating a real-life working excavator! Previously at East Coast Park, Diggersite now occupies a larger area in Yishun which means that the construction vehicles are spaced out further apart.

All of the previous stations at East Coast have been replicated here - some with a slight twist. In total, there are now 5 stations where one of the fave will be kids having the chance to drive - yes, DRIVE - a forklift around the Diggersite compound while transporting a wooden mallet from one point to another. For kids who love sand play, there is a dedicated sand pit with sand toys.

Port of Lost Wonder at Sentosa may have closed its doors in December last year, but the water play park with the iconic pirate ship comprising of plenty of water slides and cannons for the kids to splash around and run amok has OPENED its doors again this year. And best of all, it is FREE for everyone!

Re-branded as Palawan Pirate Ship, the water play area retains all the play features that the kids love. Housing a signature water play area in the shape of a huge pirate ship, expect lots of water pistols, slides and water jets. There is also a wading pool surrounding the entire ship!

Previously known as Memories at Ford Factory - or more recently, Syonan Gallery - the Former Ford Factory is the site of the surrender of Singapore by British forces to the Japanese Imperial Army. Re-opened in February and a national monument, its contents have been revamped and now features refreshed content and a new focus. The gallery highlights a new area of focus for the exhibition by looking at the impact of the war and the Occupation years, including the immediate and longer-term legacies of this period on Singapore and the region.

The exhibition space proper is broadly divided into three zones: Fall of Singapore: Outlines the events leading up to that fateful moment where British forces surrendered unconditionally to the Imperial Japanese Army in the Ford Factory boardroom, Becoming Syonan: Captures the diverse experiences of people during the Japanese Occupation and Legacies: Highlights the various legacies of war and Occupation in Singapore, from the political and social changes that arose and the ways we remember the war in Singapore today.

Okay, so I cheated a little because this attraction opened late last year. But hey, this is one indoor playground with a difference and one which I am sure kids will go crazy over!

New Zealand's indoor climbing theme park Clip 'n Climb has set up base at HomeTeamNS Tampines' space located at the refurbished Our Tampines Hub, a community and sports centre. Quirkily designed walls awash in bright colours greet climbers at Clip 'n Climb, which is not your run-of-the-mill indoor climbing joint. There are 19 wall designs in the 260sqm facility that range from easy for the rookies to difficult for the more experienced, such as the snaking beanstalk from fairy tale Jack and the Beanstalk, a lightning bolt and Morse code-inspired one.

The park utilises an automatic belay system, which means kids can climb the different walls at the same time without having to take turns. Experience a twist in rock climbing at the Dry Ice wall where you’ll be given ‘ice picks’ - a pair of wooden sticks - to scale the structure and manoeuver yourself to the top.There is no minimum age for climbers, they just need to weigh between 10 and 150kg.

There are two areas to Chestnut Nature Park – Chestnut Nature Park (South) and Chestnut Nature Park (North). Chestnut Nature Park (South) opened last year and is Singapore’s first nature park with separate mountain biking and hiking trails. Chestnut Nature Park (North) opened in February this year and together with the southern portion, Chestnut Nature Park now totals 81 hectares, making it Singapore’s largest nature park to date.

If you are planning to bring the kids for their first taste of hiking, great news - the hiking trail is slightly undulating and pretty straightforward. Chestnut Nature Park (South) has a 2.1km hiking trail, while Chestnut Nature Park (North) has a 3.5km hiking trail. Click HERE to download the southern hiking trail and HERE for the northern hiking trail.